Train-pipe coupling.



H. W. THOMAS.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION I'ILIID APR. 9, 1909.

Patentd Feb. 15, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATE T oFFioE,

nowannw. THOMAS, or oHARIIERoI ?ENNSYLVANIA. AssIGNoR or QNE-FOUR'IH 'ro JAMES EDWARD MANSFIELD. or MoNESsEN; PENNSYLVANIA. AND ONE- "FOURTH '10 RoY v, LINDSAY. or CHARLEROI. PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

pplication filed April 9, 1909 serial No. 488.992.

Charleroi,in the county of 'ashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new gaid useful -Train-Pipe Coupling, p wlaui he followingis a' specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic couplers for air-pipes constituting parts of an brake systems.

1 One of the ob'ects of the-invention is to provide aconstruction which will automatically operate to admit and cutoff the supply of air at the time of the coupling and uncoupling of the cars.

Another object is to: provide an improved formofcoupling head-whichwvill permit the pipe at either end of the car to be automatically coupled to'the pipeat either end of the adjacent car.'

With these 'and the'rob ectS in view. as

will hereinafter more fiilly appear. the pres ent invention consists in certain novel de talls of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of portions of two cars coupled and showing the. device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the device, partly in section, showing, by full and dotted lines, two positions of the port. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one coupler. head.

.-Fig. 4: is a section on line a-b Fig. '2.

thereof with a depending hanger or; bracket 1, in Which is supported one end of a pipe 2,.

said end being provided with a bonnet 3 having a guide opening -z-textending therethrough. The outer end of tlns opening is flared or enlarged as indicated at and constitutes a seal for acking 6, which packing is held in pit-ice by means of a disk 7.

- A tubu ar: stem 8 is slidably mounted within of the stem within the pipe. A

the opening i and provided atone end with an enlargement. J constituting a valve which is normally in contact with a seat 10 formed about the inner end oi the opening at. The stem '8 is closed at the valve end thereof but one or more openings 11 are 't'ormed in the stem adjacent its closed end,-

saidopening constituting means for establ shmg communication between the interior and the pipe 2 when the valve '9 pushed inwardly a predetermined dis tance. Guide lugs liextend radially from the valve t) andare designed to travel within grooves 13 formed within the pipe '2. These lugs servetoprevent the valve from rotating The outer end of the tubular stem 8 is open and rounded as indicated at- Ll, said end being niovablv mounted within a socket 15 fin-med in one end of the head. 16 ot' the coupler. The outer end of this head is beveled as indicated at 17 and has a passage 18 opening at the center thereof, said passage extending from the socketll. A gasket 1!) is preferably arranged within the beveled face 17 and around the openeud of the pas- 'gradually increasing. in width toward its free end, there being outwardly diverging flanges along the longitudinal edges of said extension and constituting, continuations of the flanges 21. -That end of the head 16 which is provided with the socket 15 is reduced armularly to form a screw-threaded extension or boss 2t on-which screwed a ring soldered or otherwise secured within one end'of a conical spring 26. The small end of this spring soldered or otherwise secured to and around aring 27 screwed on to the stem 8 and said ring also constitutes an abutment for a coiled spring 28 the other end of which bears against the washer 7. It

i will of course be nnderstood that the spring 28 by bearing against the ring 2 servesto of the stem 8 so as to prevent leakage at this i prevent leakage. project beyond the o uterends of the adjoln- 'ing couplers O'it'wvlll be apparent that the hold the valve 9 normally upon its seat and the port or opening 11 will thus be normally closed. fljhe spring 26 also operates todraav the.head 1(3 firmly against the rounded end point but at the same time permit a limited rocking IHOVQITIQHtOf the head with respectto the stem. I A coupling such as herein described is designed to be placed at each end of a car, and when two cars are brought together so as to be coupled, each Wing 20, and its angular extension 22' \vill'serve to guide the.head 10 of p the opposed air pipe coupling into position to bring the beveled facesof the two heads into cantact and .cause the ends of the passages; '18 to register, the gasket l9 serving to 'As the'heads 10 normally tivoheads'will come' intohcontact before the couplers G are brought together. As .a re

' Sand the'hea'ds 16 it becomes possible for the -springs 28 will operate to return the valves 9 7 run a 1n the construction and arrangement oi the 'air'through the stems S.-

sult the stems 8 will be forced backwardly into the pipes 2 when the cars arecoupled -together, and the ports opened and connnunicatlon established between the'pipes 2 of the two cars through the 'steins '8 and the'lieads 1 6. By providing the ball and socket connection between the stems couplings of'the air pipes to flex laterally to correspond with the relative movements 0] the couplers C. It will of course be understood that when the cars are uncoupled the totheir seats, thus cutting oil the passage of "Obviously variouschanges nray be made .'parts Without depart-ingh'om the spirit or "sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

stennlfsaid head having a passage there;

" through opening and "a guide Wing extending'froin the head,

11 will thus be t I w cening. socket, and flanges extending from upon said stem for holding the into thestem, a, spring connection between the stem andthe head,

y r i said :w'ing 2. 'l'hecomblnationwith a pipe'hav ing a \alveseat i of a tubular stem slidablyinounted \\1tll11lISz\l(.l pipe and having a normally closed port, a valve at one endof the stem, a ,spring, engag ng the stem for holding the having oppositely disposed) re ren'lngfianges y valve normally upon the seat, a l1ead 1n0 v- V ably niouhtedupou one end of the stem, an elastic connection between the head and the stein, said head having a passage therethrough opening into the stem, the outenor working face oflthe'head being beveledja' wing'e.\tendi1 1g' beyond said b'ereled face audhavrg an oblique extension, long tudinal flangesjalo'ng the wing andits extens on. said flanges cooperatingwith a beveled face to torm a head-reccivil'rg. sockeh the ev tension and its wing constituting a guide.

3.--\n'a1rbrake coupling comprising a movably mounted tubular stem, :1 head niovably mounted on 't'he's'tcni 'and having a passage communicating ,With the interim v .of said stem, elastic means for holding the stein-and head together, an angular w ng extend ng, troni the head and cooperating \i' ith one face thereof to form a1 heath-c the wing.

it. An" air brake coupling"comprising a' movably inounted' tubular sten'ntlre'steni hating rounded ends-a head -ha-\-'ing a passage therethrough and a socket atoneend secured upon the stern, a-ring securgedz-to'the head, and a spring lixedly secured at. its ends to said' rings 'ior'holding the head. and stem in engagement. a r

y "5; an air brake coupling"comprising a niovably mounted .tubular stein, a head uovable laterally relative to: the stenl'gand having a passage muninunicaliug ith.;the interior otthe stem, and a spring surrounding'the Sltlliftll'ld securedto theastcm-and head for lioldin'gthe same normally in; a 'prcdeterminec l relations. I v M 'In testimony that I claim .the foregoing as my own, I 'harehereto atlixcdmy signa' turcf in the presenceof two witnesses,

igfioiuriuiin rmn et WiLneSSes i I I Bl F. 'Enmo'ri, a

Gnols'rannm'n; j

f ofthepassage,said socketconstitutingalseat for the rounded end --of theste1n, .a ring 

